Project

A lock for a pocket door that had nowhere to put one

Sliding doors disappear into the wall, so anything that sticks out stops the door closing. This one now locks, and still slides.

The problem

Sliding and pocket doors are the doors nobody can find hardware for. The door slides into a cavity in the wall, which means there is nowhere to mount a knob, a lever or a normal deadbolt — anything proud of the face stops the door from closing. Most people are told it cannot be locked and live with a bathroom or office door that does not shut properly.

What we did

A fully recessed lock, set flush into the edge and face of the door. Key cylinder outside, turn inside, and a pull that retracts flat so the door still disappears into the wall the way it was built to. The hardware was supplied by the customer; the job was the preparation.

Why it was hard

Everything is in the cutting. The lock body sits in a pocket routed into the edge of the door, the trim is let into the face on both sides, and the strike is mortised into the jamb — on a door that was already hung, painted and in use. Depth wrong and the door will not slide. Height wrong and the bolt never finds the strike. There is no margin and no second attempt: you are cutting into a finished door.

Would we do it again?

Two and a half hours, and honestly we under-charged for it. We are glad we did it and we would do another for the right customer, but this is precision joinery with a lock in it rather than a standard install. If you have a pocket door that will not lock, talk to us — just know it is a proper job, not a quick swap.

How it finished